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Premier League preview No4: Aston Villa

By on August 15, 2013

Paul Lambert’s Aston Villa side is the next to go under our magnifying glass ahead of the coming season.


Aston Villa

Can Cristian Benteke lead Paul Lambert's side to a top-ten Premier League finish for the first time since 2011?

Can Cristian Benteke lead Paul Lambert’s side to a top-ten Premier League finish for the first time since 2011?

In: Jores Okore (Nordsjaelland, £4m), Leandro Bacuna (Groningen £3m), Aleksander Tonev (Lech Poznan, £2.5m), Antonio Luna (Sevilla, £2m), Nicklas Helenius (Aalborg, £1.2m rising to £2m), Liam Prynn (Torquay, £50,000), Jed Steer (Norwich, Free).
Out: Courtney Cameron (Torquay, Free), Brett Holman (Al Nasr, Free), Eric Lichaj (Nottm Fst, Free), Jean Makoun (Rennes, Free), Derrick Williams (Bristol City, Free), Richard Dunne (QPR, Free), Graham Burke (Shrewsbury, Loan).

Aston Villa will be looking to make a steady beginning to their Premier League campaign after their erratic 2013/14 EPL campaign landed them five points above relegation in 15th place.  Although tough opening fixtures against Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea will likely be unrewarding for Paul Lambert’s side Villa fans are optimistic that a good season is in the offing with Lambert, who is the Lions’ first manager since 2009 to stay at Villa Park for the beginning of two seasons, keeping his side young ahead of the coming season.

The English club’s transfer window has gone according to plan, with Lambert having already made seven promising signings of youngsters Jores Okore, Antonio Luna, Leandro Bacuna, Aleksandar Tonev, Nicklas Helenius and Jed Steer, all of whom are under 23.  Although Villa’s off season success could have been ruined by the loss of Christian Benteke, who either scored or created an astounding 49% of his side’s goals last season, Lambert somehow managed to lure the 22-year-old into signing a new four-year contract with the club.

Benteke, who netted 23 league goals last season, could help lead Lambert’s youthful side into a top ten finish, and if the Democratic Republic of the Congo international shows the same form he ended the 2013/14 season Villa fan’s optimism, which has lead them to purchase over 20,000 season tickets, will skyrocket.   Especially if they keep supporting Lambert in the way they have, their side seem too good to be relegated and a 10th place finish is entirely plausible.

Although the club looked to have a mid-table finish already set at the start of last season Villa’s inconsistent form left them flirting with relegation throughout April and May.  That looks to be a highly improbable fate this coming season though, while if Lambert can keep his side’s spirit up through what will likely be their usual February slump and they find themselves mid-table by March one must fully expect them to push for a top ten position.

Last season’s position: 15th

Alex’s predicted position: 12th

About Alex Morgan

Alex Morgan, founder of Football Every Day, lives and breaths football from the West Coast of the United States in California. Aside from founding Football Every Day in January of 2013, Alex has also launched his own journalism career and hopes to help others do the same with FBED. He covers the San Jose Earthquakes as a beat reporter for QuakesTalk.com and his work has also been featured in the BBC's Match of the Day Magazine.